Pitt FB Recruiting
2026 QB Brady Hart Had Familiarity With Pittsburgh Even Before Pitt Offer
It’s a bit difficult for Brady Hart to communicate with college coaches considering he’s just a freshman in high school, but that hasn’t stopped the offers from rolling in.
Texas A&M was the first, Indiana followed, and Pitt was the latest program to offer Hart — a 6-foot-5, 185-pound quarterback from Cocoa High in Florida in the class of 2026 — earlier this week.
Tiquan Underwood has been busy in Florida over the last week, which included a stop at Cocoa High (where four-star Pitt wide receiver commit DayDay Farmer played last season) to catch up with head coach Ryan Schneider. And of course, he extended an offer to Hart through Schneider.
“It feels great, just super rewarding,” Hart told PSN. “But it’s just the start of the journey and just makes me want to work harder to make these dreams come true.”
#AGTG I am extremely BLESSED to have received my 3rd POWER 5 D1 OFFER from the University of PITT #H2P @Cocoa_Schneider @baylintrujillo #BTruQBTraining pic.twitter.com/1bd0yjWwHn
— Brady Hart (@BradyHartQB) May 3, 2023
While the relationship is very, very new — and communication isn’t exactly easy to this point — between Hart and Pitt’s coaching staff, it’s a school that has already managed to stand out.
“Pitt was just a school I’ve been super interested in from the start, just love the area, super rich football culture,” Hart said. “So, (coach Underwood) came to my school this morning, and he talked to my coach and offered me there.”
As a freshman in high school, college coaches aren’t allowed to reach out to him. Interested coaching staffs go through his Cocoa coaches, and the coaching staff then relays those talks. If there’s one thing he’s heard from his coaching staff though, it’s that, yeah, he’s a freshman, but he’s 6-foot-5 and can throw the football 60 yards.
Hart has the IQ, the decision-making and the processing to make big throws, but he also has the size and mobility to make plays with his arm and his legs. But he’s not satisfied in letting the game come to him now; he wants to be the best.
“I’m gonna be dedicated to the film room,” Hart said. “I’m gonna watch their defenses and know the ins and outs and just pick you apart, make all the right reads. And when I have to make the big throw, I’ll make the big throw. Just execute the offense how it’s supposed to be.”
It’s Hart’s first season as Cocoa’s varsity starter, having transferred from Melbourne High, and he’s adapting to his new team. But he’s made quite an impact on the camp circuit — and in 7-on-7 action — this spring. And in his reps at Melbourne, he showcased a strong arm and great touch on his throws.
Cocoa won a state championship last season, and as he takes over under center, it’s his goal to repeat. The team goals come first, and he just hopes to help the team by picking up on the small details in his own game.
It’s easy to focus on the big things, but Hart wants to work on his pocket presence. He wants to hone in on working through his progressions, having his eyes in the right place on every play and being able to identify coverages in live game situations.
As a rising sophomore, with not even a full varsity season under his belt, he has a lot of room to grow. And as a recruit in the class of 2026, none of the major recruiting services (247Sports, Rivals, On3) have rated him yet, but that will change soon.
Hart plans to have a busy spring and summer, with plans to check out schools like Texas A&M, LSU, Florida State, Florida and Pitt. Pitt will “definitely” receive a visit this summer.
“We have family up in Pittsburgh, and I’ve just been up there a lot,” Hart said. “I’ve heard a lot about the culture, and I love that area, and Kenny Pickett is another Pittsburgh quarterback that plays in Pitt. Tons of athletes have come through there. They’ve been known to produce some really good quarterbacks.”
Hart is very familiar with Pittsburgh as a whole, as he’s visited to see his family, so he’s very aware of the rich football culture in the city. And he loves that. And he’s looking for a school that offers some of that in the future.
“I’m looking for a school with a rich fanbase, great coaches with higher education and great football minds and are willing to develop me and just pour into my future — even past college,” Hart said. “Cool area, a place that just makes me feel at home.”
This summer will be a big opportunity to make it out to colleges and build relationships with coaches, but in the long run, Hart plans to keep his head down, stay humble and work toward achieving both his college and NFL dreams.
